Flexible tubular extension member for wells



Oct. 22, 1957 G. H. TAUSCH 2,810,442

FLEXIBLE TUBULAR EXTENSION MEMBER FOR WELLS Filed July 25, 1955 2Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

Gilbert H. Tausch,

Oct. 22, 1957 G. H. TAUSCH 2,810,442

FLEXIBLE TUBULAR EXTENSION MEMBER FOR WELLS Filed July 25, 1955 2Sheets-Sheet 2 G/lber) H. Tausch,

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United States Patent FLEXWLE TUBULAR EXTENSION lVIEMBER FOR WELLSGilbert H. Tausch, Houston, Tex., assignor, by mesne assignments, toEsso Research and Engineering Company, Elizabeth, N. J., a corporationof Delaware Application July 25, 1955, Serial No. 523,964

11 Claims. (Cl. 166218) The present invention is directed to a tubularextension member for use in wells. More particularly, the invention isdirected to apparatus for extending the effective length of tubing inwells deviated from the vertical. In its more particular aspects, theinvention is directed to apparatus and method for completing andservicing wells located oflshore at a marine or water location.

The present invention may be briefly described as an apparatus for usein a well bore comprising a flexible tubular member having means on itsupper end for suspending the tubular member in the well. The flexiblemetallic member is particularly adapted for use in a tubing arranged ina well casing in a well and is provided with suspending means which isremovably connected to the upper end of the tubular extension member forsuspending the tubular extension member in the tubing and/ or well. Thesuspending means may suitably be removably connected to the flexiblemetallic tubular extension member by screw threads, latching devices,latching dogs, pipe engaging means, and the like.

The suspending means which is removably attached to the flexiblemetallic extension member may suitably be a hanger, such as described inthe Composite Catalog of Oil Field and Pipe Line Equipment, 1954edition, pages 3977 and 4000, and may comprise pipe engaging means suchas pipe slips, latching dogs, anchoring means, and the like. The tubularextension member and the hanger are suitably provided with packing, suchas chevron packing, for engaging with the walls of a landing seat andsupporting means or landing nipple, such as has been described in theComposite Catalog of Oil Field and Pipe Iiine Equipment, 1954 edition,page 3977.

' The present invention also comprises apparatus in combination with awell drilled in the earths surface having a casing extendingsubstantially the depth of the well and having a tubing arranged in thecasing with its lower end at a level above at least one productiveinterval, the well casing and tubing being closed at the upper end by awell head. A pipe is connected to the well head and tubing having apermanent, substantially short radial bend and a laterally extendingconduit means is connected to the pipe for introducing into the tubingthrough the pipe a flexible metal tubular extension member which isadapted to be and is supported and/or suspended at its upper end insealing engagement with the tubing in the lower end of the tubing suchthat it projects therefrom.

. It is contemplated that the laterally extending conduit means mayextend from a well head connected to a well drilled at a marine locationwith the well head being arranged below the level of the water and withthe conduit extending laterally to the shore of the Water location.

It is' further contemplated that the Well, whether it be at a marinelocation or drilled on dry land, may be deviated substantially from thevertical such that it is necessary, when the eifective length'of thetubing is extended, to move the flexible metallic tubular extensionmember through the well bore deviated substantially from the vertical.The flexible tubular extension member is admirably suited for movingthrough a deviated well or moving through a passage which is deviatedfrom the vertical and which traverses a path from the horizontal to thevertical or at an angle from the vertical.

In the practice of the present invention, it is contemplated that thefiexible metallic tubular extension member may be moved through thepassageway or through the tubing by attaching same to a wire line andlowering the tubular extension member or the tubular extension membermay be moved by pumping fluid or flowing fluid into contact with thetubular extension member. For example, at least one end of the tubularmember may be closed and fluid pumped thereagainst to cause same to movethrough the tubing and the lateral conduit. When running the tubularextension member into the well, the lower end of the tubular member maybe closed by an expendable plug and when retrieving the tubularextension member from the well, the upper end thereof may be closedand/or sealed to allow fluid to be pumped against the tubular extensionmember to retrieve same from the well.

' The present invention will be further illustrated by ref erence to thedrawing in which:

Fig. 1 is a schematic showing of a well drilled at a water locationillustrating the flexible tubular extension member in place and atvarious stages of running in;

Fig. 2 is a partial sectional view of the lower end of the tubularmember in a closed position;

Fig. 3 shows a tubular member run through a deviated well bore;

Fig. 4 illustrates the lowering of the flexible tubular member on a wireline;

a Fig. 5 illustrates means for retrieving the tubular member from thewell;

Fig. 6 is a partial sectional view of a suspending means removablyattached to the flexible tubular extension member;

. Fig. 7 is an illustration of a latching means for releasablyconnecting the hanger to the tubular extension member;

Fig. 8 is a partial cutaway view of the flexible construc-, tion of thetubular member;

Fig. 9 is a partial sectional view of a bellows-type flexible extensionmember and showing the metallic covering of the bellows-type extensionmember.

Referring now to the drawing in which identical numerals will beemployed to designate identical parts and particularly to Figs. 1 and 2,numeral 11 designates a well drilled from the water bottom 12 of a waterlocation 13 v at a substantial distance from a shore line 14. Arrangedin the well bore 11 is a casing 15 which is cemented in place withprimary cement 16, the casing 15 extending substantially the depth ofthe well. Arranged in the casing 15 is a tubing 17 having its lower openend 18 arranged at a level above a hydrocarbon productive interval 19.'

The tubing 17 has arranged adjacent the lower open end 18 a landingnipple 20 in which is suspended a hanger assembly 21. Releasably orpermanently connected to the hanger assembly 21 is a flexible tubingextension member 22. The hanger assembly 21 and extension member 22 areprovided on the upper end of the h'anger'assembly 21 with a fishing neck23. The extension member 22 is run into the tubing 17 with its lower end24 closed by an expendable plug 25 which is also attached thereto byshear pins or other releasable attaching means 26. Plug 25 is i alsoprovided with a cup-type packer 25a for the purpose of pumping extensionmember 22 into the tubing.

. The tubing 17 and the casing 15 are closed in by a well head 27 whichhas attached thereto and to the tubing 17 a short radius ben'd pipe 28which may be of any desired degree; The pipe 28 is connected to alaterally extending conduit 29-by'a pipe-connecting meansbl), the laterally I pump 82 arranged therein;

The conduit 29 'is provided '-Witha blowout" preventer 33- which -servesas 'a' supporting means for the tubular extension member 22 as will -bedesc'ribedi Giannectedflto the blowout 'preventer or supporting means 33is lubricator 34 provided with a valve 35; Connected to the lubricator34 by a laterally extending conduit 36*is-a pump 37 which'connects to-asourceof fluid, not shown, bya conduit 38. The pump 32 also connects toasource of fluid by a conduit 39 'I'hefluidsourcemaybe drilling mud, oil,fresh or-saltwateras may be desired or maybe a suitabletreating agent,such as acid, acid gel, cement slurry, andmany. other fluid materialsused in oil wellservicing and completion operations.

Shown in the running in-positionis a" tubular extension member 22 beingrun in-through'the blowout preventer 33 into the conduit34, the flexibleextension member being wound or spooled on a reel or drum 40 mounted bya mounting means-41'on a service truck 42, the flexible tubularextension member being run ofi" the reel 40 over a sheave 43 carried bythe truck 42.

The-flexible, metallic extensionmember may conveniently be formed insections of apredetermined length coupled together by a removableconnection means. Such sections may be of 50, 100, 200, 300, 500 feet inlength as may be desired.

It-is to be noted in Fig. 1 that the hydrocarbon productive interval 19has'been perforated to form a flow path fromthe interval 19 into thecasing. This has been accomplished by previously inserting through thetubing 17 a tubing gun perforator and firing same to form theperforations 44 through the casing 15 and cement 16. Thereafter, asshown in .Fig. l, a body of cement 45 has been deposited to seal theperforations 44.

Referring now to Fig. 3, it will be seen that a Well casing 50 has beenarranged in a well bore 51 which is deviated from the vertical andcemented in place with primary cement 52. A tubing string 53 followsthe-devi-. atedcasing 50 and well bore 51 and has arranged in'the lowerend thereof a landing nipple 20 suspended from a hanger assembly 21, aflexible metallic tubular extension member 22 provided with a fishinghead 23. Like the'illustration of Fig. 1 a production interval 19 hasbeen penetrated by perforating the casing 50 to form perforations 54through the casing 50 and the cement 52.

Referring now to Fig. 4, a well 60 drilled from the earths surface61 haspenetrated the hydrocarbon-produ-ctive interval 19. The well has acasing 62 arranged therein and cemented in place with primary cement 63.In the casing 62 is a tubing 64 having. its lower open end arrangedabove the hydrocarbon productive interval 19. Shown lowered on a wireline 65 and attached thereto by a fishing means 66 attached to fishingneck 23 is a flexible metallic tubular member 22 which has been landedinthe landing nipple 20.

The wire line 65 extends through a lubricator 66 attached to a blowoutpreventer 67 which, in turn, is attached to the well head 68. The wireline runs over a sheave 69 on a truck crane 70 and runs to a reelthereon, not shown. The sheave 69 may be mounted on the lubricator 66 ifdesired.

Connected to the tubing 64 below the blowout preventer 67 and above wellhead 68 is a flow line 71 and connected to the casing 62 is a pipe orconduit'72 provided with a pump 73 therein which connects to a source offluid, not shown. Flow line 71'also connects to a pump and source offluid, not shown.

In Fig. means are provided in the apparatus of Fig, 4 for retrieving theextension member. 22. Shown being pumped down is a retrieving assembly 75{provided with l a fishing neck 76. a sealing member 77, and grab hooks78 for engaging with-the fishing neck 23.

It is to be noted that like the other figures, the casing 62 and cement63 in Figs. 4 and 5 have been perforated in the interval 19 to form theperforations 79.

Referring now to Fig. 6, the hanger assembly 21 is releasably connectedto the extension member 22 by screw threads:80 .on the lower end of thehanger 21 which Referring to Figs. 9 and 10, the extension member 22 ismade up of a bellows construction 86, which is covere'di by a wovenmetal covering 87.

In employing the device of the present invention with particularreference to Figs. 1 and 2, the tubular extension member 22 is spooled011 the reel 40 and inserted'into the lubricator 34 as shown. After thedesired length has beeninserted, ahanger, such as 21, shown in Figs.6'and' 7, isreleasably attached thereto and the complete assemblymanually inserted in the lubricator 34. Thereafter, the

valve 35 is opened and the pump 37 started to force the.

extensionmember 22 through the lubricator 34,.conduit 29 andthrough thecurved pipe 28 into the tubing 17.

Thedotted lines show the extension member 22 traversing, thepipeof shortradius and entering into the tubing 17,. while the full lines show thetubular extensionmember22.

seating in the landing nipple 20. After the tubular extension member isseated in the landing nipple-20, pressure-is applied. thereto to. shearthe shear pins 26 and cause the plug 25 to drop to the bottom of thewell. Thereaftenthe. pipe 38 connected to pump 37 is connected to asource of fluid for treating the well; for example, a cement slurry,

such as described in the Salathiel'Patent 2,582,459 to seal. theperforations 44 which have been made previously by lowering a tubinggunperforator through the tubing 17.

Thereafter, the assembly 22 may-beretrieved either by engaging with awire line, such, as 65, carrying a grab hook 61 or-preferablyr anassembly, such as shown in.Fig. 5, is pumped down toallowthe grab hooks78-to engage the;

fishing neck 23 andform a seal with'the innerwalls of; the tubing withthe sealingmember 77. Thereafter, fluidis pumped down'the annulus A froma source not shown by: conduit means 39 and pipe 31 by means of pump32:to force the extension member 22 back up the tubing and. through thecurved pipe 28 and conduit 29 intothe sup porting means or blowoutpreventer 33 which serves to hold the conduit in that position-and allowit to be re-- trieved through the lubricator 34.for spooling again onthe reel 40 after detaching the removable hanger 21 by unscrewing thescrew threads 80 or depressing the latches 22a.

The extension member 22 maybe run in or removed from a deviated well,such as shown in Fig. 3, in the samemanner as has been described withrespect to' Fig; 1. Likewise, with respect to Fig. 4, buoyancy may'beprovided tothe tubular extension member 22 during-its-lowering andraising operation by circulating fluid down the" annulus'A' by way ofpump 73 connected tothe casing 62 by conduit 72. In the running inposition, the extension member 22 may be provided with a plug, suchasshown in- Figs. 1 and 2, and buoyancy provided by trap.- p'ing airwithin the extension member 22, whereas onremoving same reversecirculation will provide buoyancy asrthe device isbeingraisedonthewire-line .65.

. In .theembodiment of Fig. 5, the tubular extension:

member may be run in, either on the wire line or pumped in as shown inFig. l and then retrieved by pumping down the retrieving assembly shownin Fig. 5 to engage with the fishing neck 23. Thereafter by reversecirculation, the assembly may be retrieved by virtue of the seal formedby sealing member 77 with the tubing 62.

After retrieving the assembly 22, as has been described, the well 11 maybe reperforated in the same interval or vertically displaced therefromsuch as in interval 19 or productive interval 19a.

The flexible tubular extension member may be constructed of flexiblemetal as illustrated but may be constructed of suitable reinforcedflexible, deformable or resilient material such as natural and/0rsynthetic rubber, and the like. For example, the rubbers mentioned maybe reinforced internally with metallic braids, bands, cords, cables,wires, and the like, or may be reinforced with suitable fabric and/ orfiber in the form of ribbons, cords, and the like. Specific reinforcingfibers are cotton, silk, ramie, linen, the synthetic fibers, such asrayon, nylon, Orlon, Dacron, and the like.

In the specification and claims where the term ribbon has been employed,ribbon is used in the sense as defined in Websters New InternationalDictionary, second edition, unabridged (1936), and in the sense it isused in the textile industry; for example, Carmichael, Linton and Price,Callaway Textile Dictionary, first edition, Callaway Mills, La Grange,Georgia, 1947, define ribbon as follows: Ribbon: a fillet or narrowwoven fabric of varying widthscommonly to 3 incheshaving selvage edges,principally of rayon, silk or velvet and used for trimminings,decorations, etc.

Thedevice of the present invention is quite advantageous and allows theeffective length of a tubing to be lengthened or increased in wells forflow passage and/or tubing and casing which deviate from the vertical.Thus, for example, deviated wells are no longer a problem in wellservicing and completion where flexible tubular extension members, asset out herein, are employed. By virtue of the flexible nature of theflexible tubing extension the extension may be carried on a reel orservice truck and run in or retrieved in a fraction of the time requiredfor rigid extension members. Deviated or deflected bore holes do notlimit the scope of utility of the flexible extension member of thepresent invention since it may be used offshore with all the wellconnections on shore and all service and completion operations for themarine location conducted from the shore location.

The present invention may be used in all well servicing operations suchas cleaning mud from a well bore to the total well depth where thetubing is arranged at a level above a plurality of hydrocarbonproductive intervals, sand removal may be afforded in deviated wells,cementing operations where a slurry of cement is deposited in regionsadjacent perforations and excess fluid cement then removed therefrom andother treatments of wells or servicing operations where fluid isdeposited in a well below the lower open end of the tubing which isarranged at a high level in the well.

The present invention has greatly utility and is particularly useful atwater locations and/or deviated and/or deflected wells where the welltubing, well casing, or other flow passages deviate substantially fromthe vertical or where connections having short radial bends areconnected to the well tubing or to the casing.

This application contains subject matter common to copending applicationSerial No. 523,963, filed July 25, 1955, for Gilbert H. Tausch, John W.Kenneday, and Martin E. True and entitled Tubular Extension Member forWells.

The nature and objects of the present invention having been completelydescribed and illustrated, what I wish to claim as new and useful and tosecure by Letters Patent 1. Apparatus for use in a well bore having acasing ing arranged in said casing with its lower open end above aplurality of productive subsurface earth intervals and having asupporting means adjacent its lower end, a continuous walled flexibletubular member arranged in the lower endvof said tubing to projecttherefrom and provided with means on its upper end engageable with saidsupporting means for retrievably supporting said tubular member in thelower end of said tubing, said tubular extension member being open onboth ends and being freely lowerable in and retrievable from said wellbore.

2. Apparatus in accordance with claim 1 in which the tubular member ismetallic.

3. Apparatus in accordance with claim 1 in which the tubular member isconstructed of resilient material.

4. Apparatus for use in a well bore having a casing arranged thereinwhich comprises, in combination, a tubing arranged in said casing withits lower open end above a plurality of productive subsurface earthintervals and having a supporting means adjacent its lower end, acontinuous walled flexible tubular member arranged in the lower end ofsaid tubing to project therefrom and provided with means on its upperend engageable with said supporting means for retrievably supportingsaid tubular member in the lower end of said tubing, said meansengageable with the supporting means being removably connected to saidflexible tubular member, said tubular extension member being open onboth ends and being freely lowerable in and retrievable from said wellbore.

5. Apparatus in accordance with claim 4 in which the means engageablewith the supporting means is a hanger assembly.

6. Apparatus in accordance with claim 4 in which the means engageablewith the supporting means is removably connected to the flexible tubularmember by screw threads.

7. Apparatus in accordance with claim 4 in which the means engageablewith the supporting means is removably connected to the flexible tubularmember by a latch.

8. Apparatus for use in a well bore having a casing arranged thereinwhich comprises, in combination, a tubing arranged in said casing withits lower open end above a plurality of productive subsurface earthintervals and having a supporting means adjacent its lower end, acontinuous walled flexible tubular member arranged in the lower end ofsaid tubing to project therefrom and provided with means on its upperend engageable with said supporting means for retrievably supportingsaid tubular member in the lower end of said tubing, said flexibletubular member being provided with means thereon for forming a sealbetween the tubing and the upper end of said tubular extension member,said tubular extension member being open on both ends and being freelylowerable in and retrievable from said well bore.

9. Apparatus for use in a well bore having a casing arranged thereinwhich comprises, in combination, a tubing arranged in said casing withits lower open end above a plurality of productive subsurface earthintervals and having a supporting means adjacent its lower end, acontinuous walled flexible tubular member arranged in the lower end ofsaid tubing to project therefrom and provided with means on its upperend engageable with said supporting means for retrievably supportingsaid tubular member in the lower end of said tubing, said flexibletubular member being provided with means thereon for forming a sealbetween the tubing and the upper end of said tubular extension member,said tubular extension member being open on both ends and being freelylowerable in and retrievable from said well bore and being provided withsealing means on its lower end.

10. Apparatus in accordance with claim 9 in which the sealing means onthe lower end of the tubular member is a releasably attached cup-shapedpacking means.

11. Apparatus in accordance with claim 9 in which the sealing means onthe lower end of the tubular member 7 8 cgmpl isesr a rcleasablyattached plug; provided with a, 1,937,107 McDowell --.-V--. 1933.cup-shaped packing means. Y 2,187,347 Guarnaschelli Jan. 16, 1940' V r2,434,239 Zublin J an. 6, 1948 References Cited in the file of thispatcnt 1 2,567,009 Calhoun et a1, Sept. 4, 1951 UNITED STATES PA 5 2,66, R01lins P 1953 1,608,575 Bannister Nov. 30, 1926

